Hi guys,

I have a 88 convertible and I have heard that verts are heavier. I want to build my car to a high performance or drift car.
1)So I am wondering if that is possible with the convertible.
2)and whats the specs difference between a vert and a hatch back??
3) what is there that I have to do to a convertible to make it as high performance as a hatch back or gtu? Do I have to have roll cage to stabilize the car since it has no top?

Thanks a lot for helping out a newbie!

David

 

1. Sure.

2. The basic specs are the same. Same engine, same exhaust, etc. The difference is that the convertible body was designed specifically for a convertible and has cross braces to stiffen it up. It was not just a coupe body with the top chopped up.

3. It depends on how serious you really are. From a safety stand point, a roll bar is a minimum if you intend to track the car.

 

I am intrested in this too. I have the same car 88 n/a Cabriolet. Do you have bad understeer?

 

i had a 88 vert about 4 years ago and never expierienced bad understeer.

 

Some racing classes do not allow convertibles, and some have special rules for convertibles. As with coupes, always check the rule book and talk to other racers in the class BEFORE you spend your time and money on modifications. If you are just making a street car that you do not intend to ever race in any particular class, then you can pretty much do whatever you like as long as it is street legal.

SCCA EP convertible:
http://www.mazdatrix.com/epconv.htm

Street monster convertible:
http://www.cris.com/~Asam/20B.html

Many of the specs can be found in the FAQ in the 2Gen forum stickies at the top of the forum, which include the factory service manual that lists a lot of the specs too.
https://www.rx7club.com/forumdisplay...sprune=-1&f=17

With enough money and labor you can make anything perform well. If you are looking for the most efficient 2Gen RX-7 models for racing, then in my opinion here is what you should start with instead of the convertible:
Drifting: Turbo II
Drag Racing: Turbo II
SCCA Road Racing: Non-sunroof models of the Sport, GTU, or GTUs

If drifting with your convertible, you will want to replace its open differential with an LSD unless a previous owner has already done so.

As stated above by Aaron, the reason the convertible is heavier is because it is properly strengthened and does not require any additional stiffening unlike some of the cheapie convertibles roaming the streets. If legal in your racing class, you can stiffen the body just like some of the coupe owners, but that would be based on your choice and whether or not you intend to significantly increase the engine torque output.

Most people who own a convertible do not like the bone-jarring harsh ride that results from installing racing suspension, racing bushings, and chassis stiffening. I have this on my RX-7 coupe, but I left my convertible pretty much stock so I could actually relax while driving around town or on long trips. You may want to ask for a ride in one of your local friend's race-prepped RX-7s before you "upgrade" your suspension to something that you may regret.

 

thank you for the reply Evil, really informative and helpful and thanks to every one else as well.